How I Lost 13 Kilos in One and Half Months

Getting fit is one of the goals that I have set for myself this year. I have started running since mid of December and also controlling my diet.

DISCLAIMER! I am not a doctor or a dietitian. The below are just my personal experiences and has worked for me. If you feel you have a medical problem or are in need of professional help, please contact a professional. Always consult a doctor before starting a new diet or exercise program.

I was around 95 kilos when I started out in December. At the time of writing, I weigh 82 kilos. Yes, I have lost 13 kilos over the past one and half months. This is the first time I have seen such drastic changes in my body, and I believe it’s because of the strict diet more than anything. Below are the various aspects of what I have been following.

Here is the before and after.

Exercises

I started with running once a week. But now I am so into it I try to run two to three times a week. I use Runtastic to track my runs. Last week I purchased the premium plan for Runtastic and looking forward to starting one of their 10k training plans and runtastic results on days that I do not run. I use a Bose SoundSport in-ear audio only headphones headphones (the cheapest in their range) for music during the runs. Luckily Bose was running a half price on those models when I purchased.

I do push-ups every day and get 150+ (25 * 6+) every day. I split this out throughout the day - 75 before I head off to work and 75 once back. I get enough time in the morning to space it at 30-minute intervals as I wake up at four. I plan to replace push-ups with Runtastic Results starting next week.

Diet

Breakfast (7:30 am): Green Smoothie (+ eggs on days that I run) or Avocado and eggs.
Lunch (12 pm): Raw vegetables (Carrot, Cucumber, spinach, kale, beetroot, corn, sprouts)
Dinner (6:30 pm: Wheat Dosa or Chappathi + Vegetable Curry
Snacks: Anytime I feel hungry I have one of these - Nuts (Almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, etc.), Carrot, Banana and Peanut butter. Usually, I end up having just the nuts at around 10 30 in the morning.

When eating out, I keep an eye on carbs and other junk. Try to eat grilled instead of fried. Usually, we eat out on weekends as we will be traveling places. We usually have a hearty lunch on weekends. Parvathy and I decided to have fruits for dinner on those days. I try to take fruits that contain less sugar like kiwi, berries, etc. But we do have apples, mangoes, watermelon, etc. but in moderation. The fruit choices are more driven by what’s available at the place I live now.

Sugar: I try my best to avoid it fully. To start with I quit tea and coffee. Believe me, I was a tea addict and I needed lots of it. It was hard, but then Parvathy quit it one day, and I got inspired by her. I still remember that last tea I took when I decided I am having no more of it. It’s hard but doable!. I don’t have any ice-cream, fruit juice, carbonated drinks, energy drinks, pastries, etc.

Family Outings

We used to spend a lot of our weekends in shopping malls till a while back. We decided to change that to more of outdoor activities. So it’s either the beach, boating, parks, walks, etc. This has increased our general activity levels and help burn extra calories. And mostly I have ‘an extra weight’ to carry around; you can tell that from the photos :). Gautham also enjoys these outdoor activities, and there’s more for him to learn in each of those short trips. On weekdays we go for a walk after dinner, shop around for groceries, etc. and run any other errands so that we are free during weekends.

With the new routine, I now feel great to be back in shape. I have never been this light since a long time, and I am happy to be in clothes that I had locked up in my bags. Since the new routine takes an hour out of my morning routine I have to optimize myself further to keep up with blogging, videos and learning new things. I am still trying to find a balance but for this. Hoping to continue with this new routine.

About Rahul

Rahul Nath is a technology consultant, father, speaker and Microsoft Readify employee. He is a former MCCA and enjoys photography and cycling.